Well, with this new A. Lange & Söhne Richard Lange Jumping Seconds model, we see a size that appeared to have been forgotten by most big brands – and a dimension so many of you demanded to see more often, as you voiced your opinion and feedback to the watch industry here.
A width of 39.9 millimeters. That is the diameter of the platinum case, and not of the movement inside! Yes, in platinum and with a numbered limited run of just 100 pieces, the 10.6-millimeter-thick A. Lange & Söhne Richard Lange Jumping Seconds may just be a refreshing drop in what remains an ocean of preposterously sized high-complicated watches – but it also represents a step in what many would consider to be the right direction.
Despite the moderate size, the dial remains bold, thanks to the large seconds sub-dial that dominates it, while the hours and minutes sub-dials are offset below to the left and right, respectively. Enforcing the “scientific observation watch” theme is a dial with no applied indices just black and red print – I do wonder, though, if sacrificing the enhanced aesthetics provided by applied indices that Lange does so beautifully was worth it.
In between the two lower sub-dials is a small triangle that turns red when power reserve reaches its last 10 hours – something that happens relatively soon after fully winding the manually charged movement: the full power reserve is a mere 42 hours. A. Lange & Söhne is a top-tier brand when it comes to movement finishing, and the tasteful mix of stunningly beautiful, colored, and untreated German silver plates, Glashütte ribs, beveled edges, mirror-polished components, and gold chatons add up aesthetically. However, Lange has also been producing some movements with relatively short power reserves – think of the Datograph’s mere 36-hour go-juice, for example. Anyhow, adding this neat power reserve “warning light” is a thoughtful touch and a useful detail that we would love to see on many more of their hand-wound pieces.
Worry not though: should the power reserve run all the way out, Lange’s clever zero-reset seconds mechanism will help you synchronize your A. Lange & Söhne Richard Lange Jumping Seconds to a reference time. Just pull the crown out and the clutch mechanism will immediately disengage and automatically reset the seconds hand to the zero position through a virtually frictionless operation. Adjust the time, wait for the reference time to reach 0 seconds, push the crown back in, and you have a fully synchronized “scientific observation watch.”
A. Lange & Söhne has indeed created a new, highly technical watch with a sub-40-millimeter-wide case – an impressive feat, for sure! But regardless of the emphasized focus on legibility and enhanced timekeeping accuracy, Lange makes no claims with regards to exactly how accurate the 390-part manufacture movement inside the Richard Lange Jumping Seconds really is. Given the extremely high-tech and focused nature of this new watch, you can bet that seasoned collectors and true watch enthusiasts – well, specifically those with deep pockets – will be reaching for the A. Lange & Söhne Richard Lange Jumping Seconds… but with Lange having invested so much into remarkable movement engineering already, the icing on their cake would really be to back all these claims (and efforts) up with some performance figures.
Until then, the A. Lange & Söhne Richard Lange Jumping Seconds helps the manufacture pave its way further away from a number of its key competitors when it comes to delivering beauty that is not just skin deep – thanks to an increasing number of beautiful and highly technical movements. Price for the A. Lange & Söhne Richard Lange Jumping Seconds in platinum is €78,000 or around $85,000 – a hefty premium over other time-only Lange watches. alange-soehne.com